TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods fell 75-72 to the No. 12 Northwest Missouri Bearcats on Saturday afternoon in Lee Arena. Washburn will be back in action a week from today at Central Oklahoma on Feb. 17.
 
In a game that saw 15 lead changes and six ties, the two teams were tied with 2:47 to play after a pair of made free throws by Andrew Orr, but Andrew Mascari hit on of his nine 3-pointers on the afternoon to put the Bearcats up 69-66 with 2:18 remaining. Northwest pushed their lead to four at 71-67, but the Ichabods cut the lead back to one after a layup by Brady Christiansen with 14 seconds to play.
 
After an Ichabod foul, Northwest hit two free throws to go up four but a 3-pointer by Michael Keegan cut the lead to one with six seconds to play at 73-72. Northwest hit a layup with four seconds to go going up three, and Washburn's 3-pointer at the buzzer missed as the Ichabods fell for the first time at home this season.
 
Washburn (15-8, 11-6 MIAA) led 39-38 at the break after trailing by as many as eight in the first half using a 9-0 run toward the end of the half going into the locker room.
 
Washburn was led by Keegan's 16 points hitting all three 3-point attempts adding seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Jack Bachelor and Orr both had 12 points.
 
Mascari led the Bearcats (19-4, 15-2 MIAA) scoring 27 points on 9 of 12 shooting from 3-point range. Bennett Stirtz had 19 points and Daniel Abreu and Byron Alexander each had 10.
 
Washburn was outrebounded 28 to 25 in the game. The Ichabods forced 14 Bearcat turnovers leading to 15 points while Washburn turned it over only five times in the game.
 
The Ichabods finished 23 of 51 for the game shooting 44 percent going 7 of 18 from 3-point range and 19 of 27 from the free throw line. Northwest finished 24 of 43 hitting 14 of 24 3-pointers (58 percent) after going 8 of 11 in the first half from deep.